halayli

What is the biggest RC shop to buy from? Because rcmart, towerhobbies have several missing items like muchmore charger for example. I need an online shop to buy all the major items from. I am about to buy a tamiya MRE with all the accessories from the tiny to the big major ones.

Any suggestions?

RcCzarOfOld

First off, you should always try to support your local hobby shop. But if they cannot get what you need, I'd try speedtech or stormer hobbies.

halayli

Any other suggestions?

rampal

iTrader: (4)

champ RC. They don't have a web site, but are very collaborative and have a nice variety of items. They're on the cheap side too! check it out: Champ RC

Stampede

KT Hobbies is good, also. Super ultra mega fast shipping.

bighurt98

iTrader: (11)

Goto:

www.nexusracing.net

James35

iTrader: (1)

This is a very important point. If everyone bought online from the mega warehouses like TowerHobbies, then the hobby would actually die off.

We need local hobby shops to be there so they are visible to the public. Hobby shops grow the hobby because they help new customers, provide support, many times provide places to race, and visually show people new items with an invaluable hands-on method.

I have made a conscious decision to be willing to pay 5-15% more at local hobby stores if they can get the item at halfway decent speeds. Unfortunately, I don't think much of the younger generation has this mindset. Probably because finances are a little tighter, and since they've grown up with computers and are more willing to make online purchases.

I have bought my fair share of items from TowerHobbies, but I try to get a lot from my local hobby shop too. When paying a little more for something at your local hobby shop, consider it "tipping" them for being there

PitNamedGordie

iTrader: (8)

Yeah I like my local hooby shop too but there is a catch 22. Because of the internet we are exposed to all products not just the ones our local hobby shops carry. When growing up you bought what you could get locally, but now you can buy whatever you want from where ever you want.

With that said the shops listed above provide good products. I buy a lot from KT because I get next/second day shipping while only paying ground rates...(they're not that far from me

bennylee

Local hobby shop won't provide any correct info to new customers..... as everytime I stop by hobby shop and saw they always promote the items they carry only....... say for instance..... if a customer asking for a Nova engine..... they will say Nova is crap and expensive .... why going to buy XXX brand........ same as this..... it happens everytime I visit that hobby shop. Several time, I really want to tell that customer that hobby guy just fool you around..... but it seems not good to that.....

Beside I found most hobby shop guys are impolite too..... try to ask some more questions and they will become impatient and finally force you to buy the stuff that they carry..... if you don't buy, their face langauge will tell you they are very angry and signal you'd better leave the shop soon, otherwise they will kick you out. I hate this kind of attitude at all.

Mostly, I buy stuff on-line........ unless I need the parts immdiately, otherwise I won't visit those shops!

I knew ton of RC fans have this experience, especially for those "budget tight" student.

Hope those shops more be polite to their customers..... I believe they will close one day if this kind of bad attitude continue.

CarbonWorks

Stormer Hobbies seems to have a very large inventory with good prices.

Ten years ago I bought everything from my local hobby shop/track. The owner understood that if he didn't try to gouge you, you would keep buying from him. He cost more than mail order, but I was happy to pay a little more. Now I race at a track where the owner charges retail for everything. I bought a LRP Sphere comp from him and it cost me about sixty bucks more than if I had bought it from a mail order store. If it was 25 bucks more I probably wouldn't have cared. He announces over the loudspeaker that he is willing to work with racers on pricing to get them to buy from him, but when you order something and it arrives-guess what-full retail minus a buck or two on large items. I know everyone needs to make a living, but when 75% of your racers will not buy from you anymore because they are tired of being gouged-wouldn't it seem prudent to make less money than retail instead of nothing? OK, just my opinion on buying local. I know its not like that everywhere, but thats the way it is here. If rc will become extict because we don't buy local, it seems to me that the burden is on the shopowners to make buying local more enticing.

SlamMan

I try to buy as much as I can from the LHS. They have fair prices on a quite a bit of stuff. At the same time I'm not made of money so when it comes to car kits and expensive items I shop around and make sure I'm not over paying. I also stopped buying tires there when I found out I was paying about 40%-50% more there than on line.

Speaking of Stormer Hobby. They seem to have one of the best selections of online stores but I hate how you have to search for everything. I still can't believe don't they have an option to browse by category?

tbeardmore

iTrader: (3)

Bottom line ~ I support my LHS first. If there's something I want, I ask them to order it for me. They do a good job to try to get everything I ask for & if they can't get it .... then I'll order it online.

dodo

i second that. i used to try getting stuff online, but not anymore, only if i cannot get it locally.

it's a two way relationship. you support LHS, LHS supports you and other RC players, the hobby lives on!

MrUnlimited

Try shopa as RC-model in Hongkong or Speedtech in the USA These shops carry all your needs from novice to expert racer.

RandomTask

should you support the local rc shop if theres a huge price difference btw online prices and LHS prices?

A GTB system runs for $350USD at my LHS, you can get one online for $250.